Water
by B00k Freak
Summary: River is aquaphobic since Lake Silencio. Just a light, slightly fluffy piece between her and the Doctor. As close to domestic as those two can get.


**a.n. Well, this is my first DW fic in a long time, though hopefully the beginning of many. Just a thought on how the timelines worked out with Lake Silencio, nothing with much plot, just some fluffy, as close to domestic as you can get, Doctor/River. Because she is awesome**

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! *cry***

It was a fairly typical day with the Doctor by River's standards. Amy and Rory were off somewhere, the Doctor had not been specific as to where, and the two of them were running around saving a planet from a sentient virus. River's only qualm was a nagging feeling that she'd forgotten to do something. This was all well and good until, when running from the infected zombie-esque people, they reached a lake.

The Doctor looked around the edges, "It's too far to walk, we'll have to swim." Without waiting for her to respond he threw his jacket to one side and flung himself into the water, struggling to swim a little under the weight of his clothes.

River hadn't moved since she'd found herself at the waters edge. She couldn't go in there. Not in a million years. She hadn't been able to face the sight of any large body of water since Lake Silencio. Rather ironic given her name. River hated water. Ha ha.

"River?" Called the Doctor, treading water

She started, hearing the infected people crash though the undergrowth behind her and, faster than thought, span around and shot the five of them dead on.

"RIVER!" Roared the Doctor, making his way back to shore, looking furious.

He didn't notice that she was shaking like a leaf. He didn't notice the wide, fearful look in her eyes. But the key thing he missed was the setting on her gun. Highlighted in yellow was the word 'stun'.

River didn't notice the Doctor ranting angrily at her, dripping wet as he dragged himself from the lake, or the stunned bodies lying before her. All _she_ could think of was Madame Kovarian, all her hatred and vindictiveness, forcing her into the space suit. All she could remember was being suspended underwater, unable to move or speak, only knowing that she was going to kill that Doctor and have no say in it.

Her breathing became shallow and rapid and the Doctor finally realised something was wrong. "River?" He asked, this time out of genuine concern.

River tried to respond; to explain. To tell him that she had only stunned the people, to tell him that she couldn't go in the lake. But her body wouldn't obey her and the only thing she could feel was her legs crumpling beneath her before blackness overcame her vision.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The unconscious state she was in was not peaceful. River didn't usually have nightmares. But in this case her tortured mind had decided to make an exception. She was floating helplessly underwater, unable to move or speak as water filled her lungs and her arm raised to shoot the Doctor of it's own volition. And she could hear that song.  
><em>'Tick tock goes the clock<br>He cradled and he rocked her  
>Tick tock goes the clock<br>'Til River kills the Doctor'_

River woke quietly given the circumstances. She didn't scream or flail as some would; she never did. The archaeologist always woke more or less the same way. Quietly, quickly and instantly alert.

River groaned and put one hand to her head. She suddenly had a pounding migraine. Make that slightly alert.

"You okay?" Asked a voice to her left. It was then that River realised that she wasn't in the forest any more.

Cracking her eyes open, she looked around. She was in the TARDIS infirmary, lying in one of the beds, covered by a heavy blanket. Her clothes were the same, though her shoes and socks had been removed.

River sat up, one hand still on her head and turned to where the voice had come from.

Unsurprisingly, the Doctor sat in a chair next to her bed. He held out a glass of water. "Are you alright?" He reiterated.

She nodded and took the water. She didn't feel like speaking.

The Doctor sighed and rubbed his face tiredly, "I know you're not allowed to tell me about my future, I _invented _those rules," He now looked her in the eye, "But if you've got aquaphobia to a point that looking at a lake makes you lose consciousness then it's something you need to tell me."

"What makes you think it was the lake?" Asked River, her voice slightly croaky and dry.

The Doctor grinned a little, "Well it wasn't going to be the zombies, was it?"

That got a laugh out of both of them. It was funny in hindsight that if River fainted, the Doctor's automatic assumption was that it was the lake, not the horde of zombies chasing them.

Then she remembered, "The people, did you get the cure?"

The Doctor waved it off, "Please, that was _easy."_

River frowned. Was?

"You've been unconscious for almost four hours."

"Oh." She said, feeling very small.

Concern covered the Doctor's face again. "Can I ask why?"

"Why what?" River asked, though she knew the answer.

"Why you're aquaphobic. I mean," He waved a hand at her, "You're not the type to be irrationally afraid of something. Besides, most aquaphobes are afraid of all kinds of water," He shook his head, "With you it's just the lake."

River found her hands very interesting all of a sudden. "I can't."

"Might make you feel better."

She shook her head, "No, I can't. Spoilers."

The Doctor sighed but said nothing.

"You've got to put up with me for a little while longer." She said, only half joking.

"Hey," He caught her wrist much in the way he had the very last time he asked who she was, though gentler, "Don't joke like that." He laughed a little, "You tried to kill me a few times now and I still want you around. What else could you do?"

River pulled her arm away and looked down. _I could succeed. _She thought, but didn't say it out loud. She'd had too much practice.

The Doctor noticed her expression. "Guess I've got a lot to look forward to then." He chuckled, trying to inject some humour into the situation

For once, though, River wasn't in the mood. She tried to force a laugh but it came out as more of a muffled sob. After that she couldn't help but cry a bit.

"Oh, River, don't-" The Time Lord said, wrapping his arms around her.

River clung to him like a lifeline trying to get herself under control. She hated it when her body betrayed her like this, showing the world what really lay within. At least it was just the Doctor. _Who I killed. _She thought, bringing a new round of tears. It may have only been in one timeline out of three, two of which ended well, but it didn't matter to her right now. Once was enough.

The Doctor stroked her hair gently in an attempt to calm the Time Lady down, though there was a part of him that found comfort in feeling her twin hearts beating in her chest. It had been so long since he had felt that. River sobbed again and he tightened the hug, though it was a little difficult with her on the bed. He understood how she felt. He felt it every time he saw her. He remembered the Library and what had happened but was yet to happen to her there. It took every piece of willpower he had not to say 'don't go to the Library' any and every time he saw River.

It was strange to see her so fragile. River usually put on such bravado that it seemed as though this side of her didn't even exist. But since Demons Run he knew that her life had been so difficult that it would be impossible for her not to feel like this sometimes.

Her breathing became slower and more regular until River had calmed down. She pulled away. "Sorry." She said.

The Doctor smiled, "You don't have anything to be sorry about." He shook his head, "You're allowed to cry sometimes."

"I hate it." She said, making the Doctor smile wider. "Besides, it's not like _you _cry. Ever."

He tried to look defensive, "I've cried before!"

River rolled her eyes, "You only cry when it would be considered an _under_ reaction."

"Well," Said the Doctor, "I would say this was a _bit _of an overreaction. I mean, it only happened in _one _of the timelines."

"What?" Asked River, and suddenly she remembered the thing that had been nagging at her before they had found the lake. They hadn't done diaries.

The Doctor was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

River scowled at him. "Oh, I hate you."

He laughed giddily, "No you don't!"

She didn't grace the statement with a response, mostly because it was true. Instead she haughtily ignored him.

The Doctor grinned, "Shall we check now then?"

River ignored him.

"Okay, I'll do it." He said, quickly seizing her diary from the bedside table where it had been sitting and leafed through to the end where there were some blank pages, pretending to read them. "Oh, that one looks like fun!" He teased.

River gaped and tried to wrestle the book from him, jokingly too though; she knew he wouldn't read it.

" 'Oooohh, the Doctor is _so_ cute!' " He imitated in a high pitched voice.

She finally succeeded in grabbing the book and glared at the Time Lord playfully, "That was just uncalled for."

The Doctor laughed, "Are you saying it's not true?"

River crossed her arms. "My voice does not sound like that." She said, ignoring the question.

"I'll take that as a no." He grinned.

River scowled and hit him over the head with her diary.

"Oow!" He complained. "See, _that _was uncalled for Doctor Song." He poked her lightly and, to the surprise of both of them, River jumped, letting out a half yelp half squeal.

The Doctor smirked. "Are you ticklish Doctor Song?"

She shrugged, "I don't know." Praying he wasn't about to do what she thought he was.

His grin widened, "Let's find out then!" He said, quickly grabbing her and tickling up and down her sides.

River shrieked, which gave way to laughter and she twisted and squirmed in the Doctor's grip, both trying to escape and trying not to escape at the same time. It was a strange sensation. She'd lied to the Doctor; of course she knew she was ticklish, but she had lacked parental contact as a child and hadn't been properly tickled until a few years previously. By the Doctor, of course. They were travelling in opposite directions, so he found out now and she found out before. From her perspective anyway.

The Doctor smiled at the laughter coming from River. It was nice to see her smile and laugh, even if it was partially under duress. Her real laugh was so different from her usual laugh. It wasn't an 'I know something you don't' laugh, or a 'spoilers!' laugh. It was simply laughter. He was glad of it. It also proved that she was part human. Time Lords weren't ticklish; it wasn't a defensive trait they'd developed, it made him glad that some of the normal human child remained in River, no matter how little. And, a little guiltily, he was glad that she wasn't entirely human. She would age slower than a human, even though she'd stupidly given up her regenerations.

River was starting to have trouble breathing so she grabbed the Doctor by the jacket, pulled him close and kissed him.

He jumped in surprise but returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her back. He could feel her smiling beneath his own lips and smiled too. After what seemed like an eternity they broke apart, still smiling widely.

"You look beautiful when you smile." Said the Doctor fondly.

"You're not so bad yourself sweetie." She grinned. She liked spending time with any of the versions of the Doctor she met, but this one, the one she was married to, and who knew it, was her absolute favourite. "I thought you didn't want to marry me though!"

The Doctor laughed, "I thought you'd have figured that one out by now!"

River was confused for a moment before she raised an eyebrow at him. "Rule one?"

He grinned. "Rule one."

"I hate you."

"No you don't."

**a.n. Soooooooooooo? Good? Cheesy? Bad? Some combination? TELL ME!**


End file.
